Compass card and bearing board



A. KNU'TSON March 3, 1931.

COMPASS CAR-D AND BEARING BOARD Filed Feb. 4, 1929 SHHS HEAD.

mwen-MR AWR Kum-50N.

Patented Mar. 3, 1931 ALFRED KNUTSON, OF SAN PEDRO, VCALIFORNIA coMPAss CARD AND BEARING BOARD Application led February 4, 1929. Serial N'o. 337,231.

This invention relates to a compass card and bearing board by means ofwhich the position of a ship can be determined from known stationary points, or the true course can be determined from the magnetic course.

An object of my invention is to provide a compass card and bearing board which is simple in construction and is easily operated.

Another object is to provide a device of the character stated by means of which the mariner is able to accurately compute the correct posit-ion of the ship without an extensive knowledge of mathematics or navigation.

A further object is to provide a device which is inexpensive to manufacture. v

Other objects, advantages, and features of invention may appear from the accompanying drawing, the subjoined detailed description, and the appended claims.

' In the drawing: I

Figure 1 is a plan view of my invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the same.

n Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View of the discand arrow mounting and fastening means. 1

Referring lmore particularly to the drawing, the numeral 1 indicates a board which is preferably square and the sides 2 thereof are 3 Aparallel to a line drawn through thefcenter 3 and a point marked zero (ships head) showny at 4. A circular protractor 5 is imprinted on the surface of the board l, the center thereof being the point 3. This protractor is calibrated in four equal quarters. A threaded pin 6 is mounted in the board 1 at the center point 3 and a disc 7 is rotatably lmounted about the pin 6 and over the protractor 5.

The outer diameter of the disc 7 is less than the diameter of the protractor 5 so that the calibrations on both the protractor and disc can be simultaneously seen. This will be evident from Figure 1.

An alining linger 8 which is preferably 'formed of a transparent material is also pivoted about the pin 6 for the purpose of accurately alining the protractor and the disc.

The disc 7 is calibrated around its periphery in degrees which are consecutively numbered from zero to 360 degrees. This calibration is illustrated at 9. The disc 7 is also provided with a calibration in points and quarterpoints, as at 10, the purpose of which will be further described. f

A double-ended arrow 11 is rotatably mounted on the pin 6 above the disc 7 and this arrow is provided with a pair of alining pins 12, 12, which pins may be removedfrom the arrow when desired. A knurled nut 13 screws onto the pin 6 against the finger 8 and disc 7 to hold these members'` against movement, and a second knurled nut 14 screws onto the pin 6 for the purpose of holding the arrow 11 against accidental movement.

The operation of my compass card and bearing board is as follows: One of the edges 2, 2 is placed against a surface which is parallel to the keel of the vessel. The side of the board designated Ships head, in Figure 1.r is pointed towards the prow of the boat. Now if it is desired to compute the position of the ship by computations from the magnetic compass this will be accomplished in the following manner.

Assuming, for example, that the reading on the magnetic compass is 50 degrees, by eX- amining the declination and variation tables which are always provided in the ship it is found that the variation east would be 10 degrees for that particular position of the compass. Now for an easterly variation it is necessary to add the amount of that Variation, therefore, 50 plus 10 is 60, and the disc 7 is set at 60 degrees, the 60 appearing opposite the zero mark on the protractor. Again by consulting the tables the deviation on the ships head, which is apparent ships course, is 2 degrees west. By known rules it is necessary that a west deviation must be subtracted. Subtracting 2 from 60, we arrive at the final result of 58 degrees. The disc 7 is then clamped at 58 degrees which represents the true course of the vessel.

To compute the ships positionv from a known point on land the long point of the arrow 11 is pointed towards the object and is'lined accurately therewith by means of the pins 12,y 12 at the same instant that the ship is held accurately in its compass course. The

o. variation is foundtobe ldegrees east.

variation is subtracted irom"thelprevious disc 7 is moved so that the zero thereon is alined with the zero on the protractor. p lNhen the ship has been brought into its course and the arrow alined as previously stated, the reading of the long point of the arrow on the disc is taken. This reading is in degrees.

This angle. is drawn on the'chart from the knownv pointfon. land, A second. object istaken on another known point in the same t, manner as previously stated and a line is again drawn from thev secon'dpoint.` Thefin'f tersection of these two lines is the position of the ship. I

It it is not possible to take an observation upon two diii'erent pointsfon landY the ships Y position can be computedfromv one knowny oblectr by various rulesn of navigation, ally of which are usual anfdfwell-known.

If'a mafrnetic bearinofis desired the mag-- n b. e so., netic course in degreesv is set on the disc 10 opposite the vZero point on the protractorV andthe disc i's then' clamped in this position by the nut 135 Tlielshort end ofthe arrow is then swung towards a known object and ayreading is takenV on the calibrations l() in A points and quarter-points. The magnetic bearing thus obtained is then plottedon the chart' in the same*V manner as stated above when the true course of. the vessel `was found.

Now ifit is desired to change a'true-course to a compass course the true course is plotted on the chart andwe will suppose this direction is 310 degreesfrom the portV that the ves sel left. Fromi the chart., or thetable, the This reading 310 giving 305 degrees. From the compass deviation card, itis determined that the deviation is 2 degreeswest. This devia,-

` rected reading of 307 degrees which is the compass course. f

h/iy boardimay also be used to determine the vcompass deviation 'by determining the the compass reading.

The use of my compass card and bearing board will, to alarge extenteliminate error vin computing aships position or course and? will'materially'simpliiy these' computations. ""Thenavigator also will be lable to determine hisposition-frequently in a minimum length.

o'time and with accuracy.

Having described my invention, I claim: l. A compass card and`bearing-boardcomif prising a rectangular board, a pin positioned in the center of said board, a protractor. im. printed on -the board with said pintas .a center, said protractor being so arranged that the .line through the zero point of the protractor Yandlthe pin shall be 'paralleltothe sides or the board, saidiprotractor being calibrated, in four quartersV ofi degrees. each, a. disc rotatablymountedonsaidpin, the periphery. of

ri-saidrdisc beingl calibrated in 360 degrees,.an

tion is added to the 305, giving a 4final cordifference betweenv the magnetic bearingand 1,794,9eel

" the line through the zero point of the protrac tonandtthe-.pinshall beparallel to the sides of the board, said` protractor being calibrated infourquartersioffQO degrees each, a disc rotatably mounted on said pin, the periphery of said disc beingcalibrated in 360 degrees, an arrow rotatably mounted on said pin, means to clamp said'disc against' accidental movement, andmeans to clamp saidl arrow against accidental movement, alining pin'sremovably mounted in saidarrow, one pin being positioned at eitherl end: of said'arrow, and an alignment linger rotatably mountedover said disc on the pin. I

n 3. A compass card and bearing board comprising a-rectangular board, apin positioned in the center o'said board,'a protractor imprinted on the board with said pin asa center, saidv protractor being so 'arrangedthat the linev through the zerolpoint'ofthe protractor and. the pin shall be parallel to tlie sid the board, said protractor being calibratedin tour quarters of 90 degrees each, a disc` rotatably mounted on said pin, the periphery of" said disc being calibrated in '360,degrees,aV

nut screwed on saidfpin against the disc, an arrow rotatably mountedon saidipin above the nut, ay secondi nut screwed on the pin against the arrow, and an alining pin at either.

end of said arrow. v,

4; Av compass card andbeai'mg boardcomprlisi'ng a rectangular board, a pin positioned"V in the center of said board, a protractor iniprintedon the board'with saidpin asa center,

ysaid protractor being so arranged that the line through the zero` point oi the protractor and the pin shall be parallelto .the sides of the board, a disc rotatably mountedon saidpin,

the periphery of said disc being calibrated'in` Odegrees,v a nut screwed on said pin againstv f the disc, an arrow rotatably mounted onsaid pin above'the nut, a secondV nutrscrewed'von the pin against the arrow, and an alining pin at either endetA said'arrow, an alining finger. rotatablymounted on. said pin over the disc,

Y andia'second calibrationon the disc in'point'sl and;quarter-points;

ln'testimony whereof, l, adir; my. signature. ALFRED KNUTSON. 

